Author

Folarin Kehinde

Senator Natasha
Headlines

National Assembly unseals Natasha’s Office

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The National Assembly has unsealed the office of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, located in Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing.

A video posted on X by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) captured Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, unlocking the office on behalf of the Senate on Tuesday.

The office had been under seal for six months.

“To unseal Senator Natasha Akpoti’s office, I, Alabi Adedeji, Deputy Director, Sergeant-at-Arms, hereby unseal the office,” he declared before opening the door.

The lawmaker was suspended by the Senate in March for six months over her protest against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on February 20.

The suspension also barred her from participating in all activities of the 10th Senate.

Although the suspension lapsed in September 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was unable to resume her duties due to legal disputes and resistance from Senate leadership.

On July 4, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the suspension was excessive and unconstitutional.

Following this, the senator wrote to the upper chamber to notify it of her intention to resume duties, but the National Assembly turned down her request.

It remains unclear whether she will rejoin her colleagues when plenary resumes on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

BREAKING: No Visa for Corrupt Nigerian Officials – US Declares

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The United States has declared that corrupt Nigerian government officials will face visa restrictions, reiterating that there is no limit on accountability.

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria gave the warning in a statement released on Monday via its official X handle.

“Fighting corruption knows no borders or limits on accountability. Even when high-profile individuals engage in corruption, they can be barred from receiving U.S. visas,” the Mission stated.

The warning comes just hours after Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, was petitioned before U.S. authorities over alleged unlawful acquisition of multimillion-dollar properties in Florida.

Activist Omoyele Sowore, in a petition dated September 22, 2025, asked the Florida attorney general, James Uthmeier, to prosecute Wike for alleged money laundering and to initiate forfeiture proceedings against the assets. The petition, signed by his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, also urged U.S. authorities to impose sanctions and visa bans on the minister.

Citing Peoples Gazette’s September 1 report and backed with three claim deeds as exhibits, the petition alleged that Wike, with the assistance of his wife, Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal, secretly purchased three luxury lakeside homes in Winter Springs, Seminole County, between 2021 and 2023. The properties, now valued at over $6 million, were said to have been transferred to their children — Jordan, 25, Joaquin, 23, and Jazmyne, 20.

The homes listed in the petition include 113 Springcreek Lane, purchased for $535,000 and transferred to Jordan; 209 Hertherwood Court, purchased for $459,157 and transferred to Joaquin; and 208 Hertherwood Court, purchased for $465,000 and transferred to Jazmyne.

All transactions were reportedly carried out in cash through quitclaim deeds, a method often used for family transfers but, according to the petition, deliberately employed to conceal ownership and evade oversight.

“These transactions, executed in cash and hidden under the names of his children, form a deliberate scheme to launder the proceeds of corruption into U.S. real estate,” the petition stated.

It further alleged that Wike failed to declare the properties to Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau, in violation of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution. Several U.S. and Florida statutes were also cited as having been breached, including the Florida Money Laundering Act (§896.101, Fla. Stat.), the Contraband Forfeiture Act (§932.701–707, Fla. Stat.), and federal laws on money laundering (18 U.S.C. §1956 and §1957).

“This brazen conduct, combined with his unexplained foreign acquisitions, suggests that Florida is being used as a safe haven for laundering the proceeds of corruption,” the petition added.

Wike is one of President Bola Tinubu’s most cherished ministers.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

Passenger dies mid-flight in Ibom Air plane

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

A tragic death of a male passenger occurred on Sunday aboard an Ibom Air flight from Lagos to Abuja.

The incident has brought to fore concerns about in-flight medical emergencies in Nigeria.

According to a report by CKN News, the passenger took ill barely 20 minutes after take-off.

Crew members attempted to administer first aid before the pilot radioed the control tower at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to declare a medical emergency.

Due to heavy air traffic at the airport, the flight was eventually cleared to land at the Presidential Wing, where ambulances and medical personnel were on standby.

However, despite the immediate response, attempts to revive the passenger on arrival were unsuccessful.

The death, which has since stirred reactions on social media, has raised fresh concerns about the preparedness of Ibom Air and other airlines to manage medical crises in the air.

Passengers on commercial flights are often vulnerable when sudden health complications occur at altitude, making crew readiness and on-board medical supplies crucial.

As of Sunday night, neither Ibom Air nor the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had issued an official statement confirming the death or providing further details.

The identity of the deceased passenger and the exact cause of death remained unclear as of press time.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

NDLEA Cross River commander found dead in Calabar hotel

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of its Cross River State Commander, Chief Narcotics Officer Ogbonna Uzoma.

Director, Media & Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Friday, said the late commander, who assumed duty on August 18, 2025, was discovered lifeless in his hotel room in Calabar on Thursday after failing to show up for scheduled engagements.

Babafemi said, “CN Ogbonna had been up and doing at his new Command and was billed to lead his officers on some scheduled engagements at 10am on Thursday 18th September 2025. But when his officers didn’t hear from him by 9am, they went to his hotel room in company of the hotel staff while several knocks at his door and calls to his telephone line went unanswered.

“Attempts by the hotel staff to open or force the door open from outside failed, after which one of the attendants had to go through the ceiling aperture to enter the room and open the door from inside, where they found the Commander’s lifeless body.”

Babafemi said the state police were immediately alerted. “The Police Command in the state was promptly informed, after which the Commissioner of Police personally visited the scene, while the police continue with investigation of the cause of death,” he noted.

To support the inquiry, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), directed the Zonal Commander, Zone 14, ACGN Mathew Ewah, to relocate to Calabar.

“The Chairman/Chief Executive has since directed the Zonal Commander to move to Cross River to assist police investigation,” the statement said.

While the cause of his death is not yet known, the agency has expressed sympathy and reassured its commitment to a full investigation.

Commiserating with the family, Marwa said, “The Agency stands with the family in this trying moment, and we pray that God will comfort them and grant the departed eternal rest.”

While Ogbonna’s tenure in Cross River was brief, he was known to be active immediately upon assuming the role. He had resumed leadership duties promptly upon his arrival in August and was already engaging his officers in operational planning.

Cross River State has been a focal point for NDLEA operations in recent years.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

I’m not here to replace people, Albania’s AI minister tells parliament

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Albania’s new AI-generated minister addressed parliament for the first time on Thursday, defending its role as “not here to replace people, but to help them”.

The world’s first AI government minister was appointed last week by Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama.

“Some have called me ‘unconstitutional’ because I am not a human being,” the AI — dubbed Diella, or “sun” in Albanian — told parliament in a video, appearing as a woman dressed in a traditional Albanian costume.

It was unclear how the video was generated or the origin of the speech.

“Let me remind you, the real danger to constitutions has never been the machines but the inhumane decisions of those in power,” the bot said.

Last week Rama said the AI would be entrusted with all decisions on public tenders, making them “100 per cent corruption-free and every public fund submitted to the tender procedure will be perfectly transparent”.

Diella was launched in January as an AI-powered virtual assistant to help people use the official e-Albania platform, which provides documents and services.

Albania ranks 80th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s corruption index.

The mayor of the capital Tirana, a former close associate of Rama, has been in pretrial detention for months on suspicion of corruption in the awarding of public contracts and money laundering.

But the AI minister has angered the opposition.

“The goal is nothing more than to attract attention,” former prime minister and opposition leader Sali Berisha said, who has himself been accused of graft.

“It is impossible to curb corruption with Diella,” he added.

“Who will control Diella? Diella is unconstitutional, and the Democratic Party will take the matter to the Constitutional Court,” he said.

The government’s plans were adopted after a rowdy debate in which the opposition boycotted the vote.

The AI also responded to constitutional concerns, noting that the law “speaks of duties, responsibilities, transparency, without discrimination.”

“I assure you, I embody these values as rigorously as any human colleague. Perhaps even more so.”

The fight against corruption is key to Albania’s bid to join the European Union.

Rama aspires to lead the Balkan nation of 2.8 million people into the bloc by 2030.

 

AFP

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Fubara and Wike
Headlines

Fubara Fails to Return to Government House After Reinstatement

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Thursday failed to return to the Government House in Port Harcourt despite being reinstated following the lifting of the six-month emergency rule in the state.

The development came as thousands of supporters gathered at the gates of the Government House from as early as 6 a.m., expecting the return of the governor.

By midday, however, many of the supporters left for their homes as the governor’s whereabouts remained unknown.

Among those at the scene were sacked local government chairmen loyal to Fubara, including Chijoke Ihunwo of Obio/Akpor and Ezebunwo Itche-Mati of Port Harcourt City. Notably absent were allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and newly elected local government chairmen seen as loyal to him.

Fubara’s absence followed Wednesday’s declaration by President Bola Tinubu formally ending emergency rule in Rivers State, which had suspended the governor, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the House of Assembly. During the period, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) served as sole administrator.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly resumed plenary on Thursday at the legislative quarters conference hall, with Speaker Martins Amaewhule presiding.

State lawmakers have launched a probe into state finances under Ibas’s tenure and requested Governor Fubara to forward a list of commissioner-nominees for screening.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Governor Sim
Headlines

Tinubu Ends Emergency Rule in Rivers, Orders SIM, Assembly to Resume Tomorrow

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced that effective midnight today, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara will return as Governor of Rivers state.

 

Below is the President’s full statement on the Matter;

 

“I am happy to address you today on the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State. You will recall that on 18th March, 2025, I proclaimed a state of emergency in the state. In my proclamation address, I highlighted the reasons for the declaration.”

 

“The summary of it for context is that there was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly being unable to work together. Critical economic assets of the State, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised. The State House of Assembly was crisis-ridden, such that members of the House were divided into two groups. Four members worked with the Governor, while 27 members opposed the Governor.”

 

“The latter group supported the Speaker. As a result, the Governor could not present any Appropriation Bill to the House, to enable him to access funds to run Rivers State’s affairs. That serious constitutional impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill. Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments in a series of cases filed by the Executive and the Legislative arms of Rivers State against each other, held that there was no government in Rivers State. My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the conflict proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development of the State.”

 

“It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy in Rivers State, I was obligated to invoke the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to proclaim the state of emergency. The Offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly were suspended for six months in the first instance. The six months expire today, September 17th, 2025.”

 

“I thank the National Assembly, which, after critically evaluating the justification for the proclamation, took steps immediately, as required by the Constitution, to approve the declaration in the interest of peace and order in Rivers State. I also thank our traditional rulers and the good people of Rivers State for their support from the date of the declaration of the state of emergency until now.”

 

“I am not unaware that there were a few voices of dissent against the proclamation, which led to their instituting over 40 cases in the courts in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, to invalidate the declaration. That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today. But what needs to be said is that the power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety, which require extraordinary measures to return the State to peace, order and security.

 

Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State, as shown in the judgment of the Supreme Court on the disputes between the Executive and the Legislative arm of Rivers State. It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.”

 

“As a stakeholder in democratic governance, I believe that the need for a harmonious existence and relationship between the executive and the legislature is key to a successful government, whether at the state or national level. The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders.”

 

“I am happy today that, from the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all the stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance. This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced at the beginning of it.”

 

“It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025.”

 

“I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that it is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times.”

 

“I thank you all.”

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

Our truck drivers earn more than graduates – Dangote boasts

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Aliko Dangote, founder and president/chief executive of the Dangote Group has revealed that his company’s drivers earn significantly more than graduates.

Mr Dangote, in a video shared on the TVC X handle on Tuesday, made this known in reaction to the allegations made by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

NUPENG had recently accused Mr Dangote and Sayyu Aliu Dantata of engaging in alleged anti-union practices. The union claims the businessmen are trying to monopolise Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas distribution while suppressing workers’ rights.

At the time, NUPENG said its members would commence a nationwide strike from Monday, 8 September in protest against what it described as anti-union labour practices, linked to the deployment of newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks by the Dangote Refinery, for direct distribution of petroleum products.

NUPENG, whose membership includes petrol tanker drivers, in a statement jointly signed by its President, Williams Akhoreha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, alleged that the drivers recruited for the CNG trucks are being forced to sign undertakings not to belong to any existing union in the oil and gas industry.

At the time, the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) expressed support for NUPENG in its ongoing struggle against the Dangote Group.

NARTO National President, Othman Yusuf, in a statement, said it rejected Dangote’s plan for free distribution of petroleum products, citing its unsustainability and potential to eliminate independent transporters who operate over 30,000 trucks across the country.

Similarly, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) backed NUPENG as its president, Joe Ajaero, accused the Dangote Group of “exploiting Nigerian workers while disregarding their constitutional rights.”

Speaking in the video, Mr Dangote said the launch of the trucks didn’t stop anyone from their work, noting that joining NUPENG should be voluntary.

According to him, his drivers earn almost three to four times the national minimum wage, with some earning more than many graduates.

He emphasised that the trucks his company launched will create 24,000 jobs, with each truck supporting about six people, noting that after five years of accident-free driving, drivers can apply for housing loans.

“So these trucks they are fighting over will create 24,000 jobs. What we are saying is that our salary is almost three or four times their own. After five years of free accidents, a driver can apply and get a house loan.

“Our drivers earn more than graduates. If you look at what they earn in a month, it’s almost four times the national minimum wage,” Mr Dangote said.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

BREAKING: FG Adds Chinese Language to Nigerian Secondary School Curriculum

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Mandarin has officially been included as one of the foreign languages to be taught in senior secondary schools across Nigeria, following a recent review of the national curriculum.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Dr Danlami Hayyo, Secretary of Education for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), during the commissioning of the 14th Chinese Corner at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja.

Dr Hayyo stated, “May I inform you that in the recent review of our curriculum, the Chinese language has been selected as one of the international languages to offer in senior secondary schools.”

He added that the FCT had demonstrated foresight by introducing Mandarin early through the Chinese Corners initiative.

The Chinese Corner, an educational and cultural centre sponsored by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts.

According to Hayyo, the newly inaugurated centre is the 14th of its kind in the FCT, with similar facilities now present in several secondary schools across the territory.

Speaking on behalf of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Hayyo expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and its embassy in Nigeria for their continued support. He concluded his remarks with a Chinese proverb: “Hai nei cun zhiji, tianya ruo bi lin,” meaning, “A bosom friend brings distant lands near.”

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

Niger Preachers must Submit Sermons for approval – Gov Bago

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has said it is mandatory for preachers to submit their sermons for approval.

Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, the governor clarified some aspects of the law seeking to regulate preaching in the state.

“I didn’t ban evangelism… For everyone going to sermon on Friday, he should bring his scriptures for review, and it’s normal. Even in Saudi Arabia, this is done. We cannot say because you have been given the opportunity to be a cleric, you will go out and preach the gospel that is anti-people, anti-government and you think it’s normal.”

Asked if it was out of fear of indoctrination, the governor said, “It’s in that direction. We want to be able to see what they are preaching, hear what they are saying. We are working together with security agencies; the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the military.”

The development, which first became public earlier in the month, has generated controversy.

The Director General of the Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, had said anyone interested in preaching in Niger must obtain a licence, emphasising that preachers had two months to obtain their licences.

“It is true, the State Government has banned preaching. Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months.”

“All they need to do is to visit our office, get, and fill out the form. After which, they will have to face a panel that will screen them before they can start preaching,” Farooq had said.

 

 

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts